Donald Trump has signed a memo directing all executive departments to examine ways to defund New York City and several other cities.
In addition to New York, Washington, D.C., Portland, and Seattle have been singled out to be defunded. All of those cities are run by Democratic mayors who appeared to side with the violent protesters and refused to enforce the law and keep order.
Trump’s rationale for defunding the cities will play very well among his supporters.
“My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,” Trump says in the memo, which twice mentions New York Mayor Bill de Blasio by name.
“To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government’s promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America’s cities.”
The amount of federal aid that could actually be cut is large. New York gets $7 billion in federal aid every year. The city cut $1 billion in funds for the police department, which resulted in a massive spike in violence.
New York is named because of a crime wave as officials cut police funds. The city had a 177 percent spike in shootings in July compared to last year. The City Council approved a budget in July that cuts $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion annual budget and eliminates $537 million in capital spending.
Washington, D.C., is on the list because Mayor Muriel Bowser refused to do what’s necessary to protect federal facilities and monuments. The last straw may have been several high-profile Trump supporters being accosted by protesters upon leaving the White House after the president’s acceptance speech.
Despite the chaos, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have steadfastly refused to request federal help in quelling the violence.
“In light of this unconscionable rise in violence, I have offered to provide Federal law enforcement assistance, but both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have rejected my offer,” Trump says in the memo.
“While violence has surged, arrests have plummeted. In a 28-day period during the months of June and July, [New York City] arrests were down 62 percent from the same period in 2019. Amidst the rising violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to cut one billion dollars from the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget, including by cancelling the hiring of 1,163 officers.”
These cities are becoming unlivable because the Democratic mayors and governors have handed control to the mob. Police are restrained from effecting arrests and prosecutors won’t prosecute those who break the law. In an effort to appease the beast, the mayors have given the mob free rein to run wild in the streets. What’s worse, the mayors are absolutely clueless as to why the violence continues after they asked Black Lives Matter and Antifa not to commit acts of destruction.
They sowed the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member